26 September 2004	Sunday	10 Shaban 1425

LONDON, Sept 25: Opener Marcus Trescothick compiled a back-to-the-wall century to give England some hope despite being skittled for 217 by West Indies in the ICC Champions Trophy final on Saturday.

No one matched his application on a seaming Oval pitch as England, put in by Brian Lara in damp and gloomy conditions, struggled from the outset before being dismissed with two balls remaining.

The left-hander, who offered two half-chances at 83 and 94, was run out for 104 after he and Ashley Giles (31), Trescothick's only significant support, put on 63 for the seventh wicket.

It was Trescothick's eighth one-day century, off 122 balls. He hit 14 fours in all.

Lara, who ran him out after some neat work in the field, also provided the other highlight of the innings.

He pulled off a breathtaking catch, somehow getting his left hand under the ball at short midwicket, to hold a tracer-like pull from Andrew Flintoff off a Wavell Hinds long hop.

All-rounder Flintoff, with three centuries and a 99 in his last seven one-dayers, looked stunned as Lara was mobbed by his team mates.

The grass-level catch was all the more remarkable coming in poor light on a glacial day. It was Lara's 100th catch in one-dayers. He finished the innings with three catches.

West Indies are seeking their first major international one-day title since winning the 1975 and 1979 World Cups, England are the world's only leading side yet to win a major international trophy.

They began full of confidence after beating world champions Australia but struggled as Corey Collymore and Ian Bradshaw cut the ball past the bat regularly.

Bradshaw capitalised on England's traditional weakness against left-armers to reduce them to 43 for two with 10 overs gone.

Scoreboard



ENGLAND:



M.E. Trescothick run out	104



V.S. Solanki c Browne b Bradshaw	4



M.P. Vaughan b Bradshaw	7



A.J. Strauss run out	18



A. Flintoff c Lara b W. Hinds	3



P.D. Collingwood c C'paul b W. Hinds	16



G.O. Jones c Lara b W. Hinds	6



A.F. Giles c Lara b Bravo	31



A.G. Wharf not out	3



D. Gough st Browne b Gayle	0



S.J. Harmison run out	2



EXTRAS (B-1, LB-7, W-15)	23



TOTAL (all out, 49.4 overs)	217



FALL OF WKTS: 1-12, 2-43, 3-84, 4-93, 5-123, 6-148, 7-211, 8-212, 9-214.



BOWLING: Bradshaw 10-1-54-2 (3w); Collymore 10-1-38-0 (3w); Gayle 9.4-0-52-1; Bravo 10-0-41-1 (9w); W.W. Hinds 10-3-24-3.



WEST INDIES: C.H. Gayle, W.W. Hinds, R.R. Sarwan, B.C. Lara, S. Chanderpaul, D.J.J. Bravo, R.O. Hinds, R.L. Powell, C.O. Browne, I.D.R. Bradshaw, C.D. Collymore.



UMPIRES: R.E. Koertzen (South Africa) and S.J.A. Taufel (Australia).



TV UMPIRE: D.B. Hair (Australia).



MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).-Reuters